New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday said that so far there has been no proposal or discussion on a Presidential candidate for the upcoming presidential election.
Patnaik, who is on a three-day visit to the national capital, today visited the Parliament to meet the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MPs and several other leaders.
Replying to a query by ANI media persons that which would BJD support as far as Presidential elections are concerned, the Odisha CM said, “There is still time for the Presidential elections so no thoughts on that for the moment”.
When asked if the Opposition will put up a consensus candidate, the five-time Odisha Chief Minister stated that he neither has thought anything about it nor do he has any proposal so far.
On the chances of the BJD joining the opposition parties’ effort to stitch an anti-BJP front, Patnaik said, “We have not looked into the possibility as yet.”
Odisha’s ruling party, BJD, which has nine MPs in Rajya Sabha and 11 MPs in the Lok Sabha, carries a lot of political significance when it comes to the passage of crucial bills and also the elections for key Constitutional posts. The BJD is often seen as a fence player and extended its support to the BJP-led NDA government.
